Disadvantages to Bundling?

[nmoulton]

I received a letter from my TelCo/DSL provider offering to bundle my existing Dish Network account with them, so all 3 services would be on one bill. According to the letter I will save $10 per month for doing so. I have to agree to a 24 month commitment, but assuming I plan to keep the services anyway, what are the downsides to agreeing to this?

And right now my E* bill does not include any state or local taxes, will this get added to the E* portion if the bill comes from my local TelCo?

Thanks for your comments
-Norm

 

[jayn_j]

The biggest disadvantage is that you become a customer of the telco instead of dish. This has had negative effects on members in the past. For example, they have been unable to upgrade to the newest hardware and/or programming packages because the telco has negotiated for a fixed package deal.

Example: People through ATT were unable to initially get 622/722s when they became available.

Same thing with the HD only packages.

 

[cparker]

I can get all of the latest promos, etc even though I am bundled. What I CAN'T do is create a Dish login on the E* web site and and change programming, and do all of the stuff other folks can do as E* direct customers. This hasn't been a huge issue, but I may reconsider the bundle when I move to my other house. It saves me $5 a month to bundle and I get one bill (from the local TelCo). I'm just not convinced right now that it's worth the $5 for what I'm giving up. NOR am I convinced that it's worth $60 a year to have services I rarely use or want (like being able to log in to an E* account online)

 

[HDRoberts]

I never had trouble signing up to particular packages. In fact I almost always got an American CSR who new immediately what I wanted. After my initial issue (described below), I immediately was ablt to get a 622 in Feb 2007. Also, when I wanted to go HD Absoulte, that was a 5 minute call. However, there are a few issues I can think of.

When I signed up with AT&T, they talked me into their crappy Homezone 1022 SD DVR box, insisting it was a new HD DVR (the 622HZ had not been produced yet). So instead of one 2-TV HD DVR, I got the Homezone and a 211. I imdeatley, after researching, had to do "dish'n it up" to the 622, costing me extra cash and annoyance. You shouldn't have that problem since your account is in place.

Another issue is inelegiblity for Dish promotions, such as penny Cinemax. Also, stuff like the impending Dish Online DVR scheduler is hard to get becuse you don't have a regular Dish acct. number.

You also lose flexibility. Is switched back to cable internet and wanted to switch to Vonage. I started the unbundiling process and cancelled my DSL, but I've been stuck with the landline while waiting for unbundling becuase I can't cancel my last AT&T service without losing my TV.

 

[nmoulton]

Another issue is inelegiblity for Dish promotions, such as penny Cinemax. Also, stuff like the impending Dish Online DVR scheduler is hard to get becuse you don't have a regular Dish acct. number.

That doesn't sound good. I'm actually looking forward to Dish Online scheduling. I hear it's coming "soon".

How about the tax question? If they charged me tax that I don't pay now it would erase more than half of the expected savings.

Thanks for the responses.
-Norm

 

[navychop]

In short, don't do it. You can find a few threads here where people regretted it.